Ban plastic grocery bags

6/28/2014

Ban plastic grocery bags

In the recent session of the General Assembly, a bill was introduced to make Rhode Island the first state to ban plastic bags. Everyone knows that plastic bags easily blow into our city streets, yards, and parks even when disposed of properly. Plastic never biodegrades so some of the most significant environmental damage is done when plastic bags end up in our waterways, like the Blackstone River, Narragansett Bay, and the ocean beyond.

If we ban plastic checkout bags, we can eliminate one of Rhode Island's most common and unnecessary sources of litter and trash. I applaud Pawtucket's State Sen. Nesselbush for sponsoring the bag ban in the General Assembly last spring, and I urge the Blackstone Valley's other senators and representatives to commit now to supporting the plastic bag ban in the coming legislative session. Rhode Island can be a leader on this issue. Once again, the choice is between the health of the environment and our personal convenience.